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Spencer Hall
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Introducing Camino, The Mississippi-born Gospel/R&B Singer on the Rise
Photo courtesy of Camino.
It was 5 p.m. on May 11 when I logged on to the press conference with Def Jam’s Camino, hosted by Universal Music Group’s creative solutions team,°1824. We were allowed the great opportunity to have an in-depth conversation about the artist and his debut EP, “Burning Fire,” which was released on April 23 on all music streaming platforms.
Camino grew up in Jackson, Mississippi singing and performing at church, pulling his inspiration for his music from his southern soul and gospel roots. Initially starting his career with an aspiration to pursue rap music, his move to Atlanta really started shaping the type of sound that resonated with him the most: gospel and R&B.
The title track of the EP highlights the story of the loss of Camino’s aunt, who passed away four years prior. The twist? It's written from the perspective of his uncle. Releasing this music video in tandem with the launch of his music project, the gospel/R&B singer was able to bring the track “Burning Fire” to life. The visuals made sure to highlight the hurt and the pain that one goes through from not just losing a loved one, but losing the love of your life. This song was not only part of Camino’s journey of healing from grief, but a love letter to his uncle.
When asked about what brought him to create a song with such raw emotion, the artist brought up his uncle, who had passed about a month and a half prior to the release of the music video. “Luckily, I was able to show him the record before he passed and gave his blessing to me,” said Camino, “He said that this song shows exactly how he felt.”
This EP is an ode to vulnerability and authenticity. Camino stated that his music is the “best way to get to know the real Camino,” due to his ability to pour every ounce of his heart and soul into his lyrics — much better than what he can do in any regular conversation. His response to a question about whether or not he had any hesitation to release the music project to the world was simple: “I had to do it.”
The artist went on to talk about how the pandemic impacted his creative process and mental health. “Being alone with just my thoughts and lyrics was hard, but very healing,” stated the Mississippi native, who emphasized the importance of being able to comfortably be vulnerable with yourself. However, when asked what was next, all the artist could say was “I am so excited to perform my music live for my fans.”
You can stream Camino’s debut EP “Burning Fire” on all music streaming services, and follow his journey on Instagram and Twitter!